Grade 1: Listening Strand – Fables and Stories

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

RL.1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

RL.1.6 Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.

Writing

W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

W.1.3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.

W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Speaking and Listening

SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.1.1(a) Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).

SL.1.1(b) Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.

SL.1.1(c) Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.SL.1.5

SL.1.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.

Language

L.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

L.1.5(a) Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.

L.1.5(c) Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at home that are cozy).

L.1.5(d) Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.

L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).

DESCRIPTION OF UNIT

This Grade 1 unit titled “Listening Strand: Fables and Stories” from New York is intended to be completed in fourteen 1-hour lessons of ELA/Literacy instruction. The emphasis of this unit is to introduce students to classic fables and stories in order to: increase their vocabulary, further develop reading comprehension skills, learn valuable lessons about ethics and behavior, become familiar with the key elements and parts of a story, and acquire cultural literacy.

CAUTIONS

Connecticut teachers should be aware that teacher notes and preparation materials are extensive and will require familiarity to be used effectively. The unit would be enhanced with additional supports for students who are ELL or have disabilities. Instruction and activities within the unit do address all of the Common Core standards listed; however, in the summative assessment students are only evaluated on domain/academic vocabulary and core content of stories and fables. Teachers using this unit will need to create a more comprehensive assessment with an aligned rubric that provides sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance in all areas.

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION

This unit is a useful example of how to use read alouds of fables and folktales to: advance students’ listening skills, increase their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, familiarize them with key elements and parts of a story, as well as help them acquire cultural literacy. Lessons provide detailed directions and materials needed for instruction.